We all have a go at writing copy don’t we? Now and again its sensible to get some advice from an expert. So big thanks to Brighton copywriter Phil Williams from Copywrite Now for these tips.
Effective copy has to sell your product, not just the product in general. Tried and tested advertising copy does the opposite, fitting your adverts neatly into the great mass that already exists, with little distinction. There are countless expressions that we all love to use in promotion, without ever taking a step back and asking if we could say it in a more unique way. So, to get you started, here’s a quick list of copy clichés to avoid:
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Expect the unexpected – ironically wholly predictable.
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State of the art – a claim so grand, and used so often, that it’s lost all meaning. File cutting edge and market leading here too.
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You’ve come to the right place – aside from being clichéd, it conjures images of a rather insistent welcoming party. Giving you that creepy feeling you might get from a pair of married siblings inviting you into a remote log cabin.
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Range of services on offer – along with across a broad range, or ranging from, all these attempts to announce a variety lack variety themselves. One of the areas where it’s far better to demonstrate your range than talk about it.
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No project too small – on top of suggesting that your customers think their projects are small, this makes you sound desperate.
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Deliver on time – or any similar basic promise which you would expect a competent professional to fulfil. You should make a professional impression without having to tell people outright that you can do the job.
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Built to last – does this clearly distinguish you from your competitors with their products that are designed to fail?
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Speaks volumes – the same volume as everyone else using this expression.
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Read on to learn more – or click here to learn more, sign up to learn more, or any other thinly veiled shuffle-along tactic.
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Industry standard – a good one to use if you’re trying to make it sound like you provide the same service as your competitors.
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Second nature – everyone seems to have a second nature or two.
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Achieve impressive results – along with other promises of grandiose achievements, it sounds like an empty gesture. Similarly any claims of past results, like strong track record – anyone can claim achievements, you need to show them.
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The new [insert] – whatever it’s a new version of, it’s certainly not presented in a new way.
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The right way to [insert] – or a similar variety of positive ‘ways’. They’re not the right way to producing a unique message.
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Change the way you [insert] forever –it’s alarming how many people are willing to commit to this weighty claim of doing something for eternity.
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Innovative – but using the same word to show it as everyone else.